Destiny
by heminkat
Summary: Is there a destiny created? Or do you create your own destiny?
1. A step to freedom

Destiny   
Chapter 1 [A Step to Freedom]  
  
A frail figure with straight brownish black hair sat on the edge of an antique chair nervously.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rachel. But we can't keep the girl anymore. We have enough burden to care for our own children.   
Just send the child to the orphanage. They will give more proper education and care."  
  
As a stern looking lady bitterly spat the words, an old lady looked at the girl with a sympathizing gaze.  
  
The old lady opened her mouth to say something, then instantly closed it in case of a regret that might follow.  
In result, uncomfortable silence presided the richly furnished room.  
  
"..I'll go get my stuff Mrs.Joanburg."  
  
The girl restrained her shaking hands and silently got up from the chair- timidly walking toward upstairs.  
  
"Finally leaving, Brianna?"  
  
A condesending voice snickered at the girl as she walked upstairs.  
  
"Told you, I told you she wouldn't last a month."  
  
"Who would want to take a filthy, stupid, ugly, low-class girl like you?"  
  
A snicker of the oldest boy started a mirth among the children of Ms.Joanburg.   
Nevertheless, Brianna fixed her glasses and headed directly toward her room.  
  
  
The room was empty and poorly furnished when it was compared to the living room and the hallways.   
Brianna calmly looked around and found her old traveling bag.   
And one by one, she stuffed her belongings into the bag.   
Few books, few clothes.   
  
Brianna hesitated for a moment.  
'That's all?' A little sigh overwhelemd her as she looked down at little baggage.  
  
"Brianna!! Get down here!!"  
Piercing sound of Ms.Joanburg came from downstairs.  
  
"Bye Joanburgs. I, too, am glad that I'm leaving here.   
Just not the orphanage..." Brianna whispered to herself as she closed the door to her old room.  
  
By the stairs, evil grins of the Joanburg childrens were watching Brianna leave.  
And down by the staircase, Mrs.Joanburg stood elegantly next to Ms.Rachel, a woman from the orphanage.  
  
"Give Ms.Joanburg your thanks."  
Ms.Rachel pushed Brianna toward Ms.Joanburg.  
For an instant, Brianna felt Ms.Joanburg flinch a bit.  
  
"Thank you ma'am. I will never forget my stay here."  
  
Brianna crossed her fingers as she repeated the jaded phrase for the thirteenth time.  
  
"Out the door now," yelled a boy of Ms.Joanburg.   
  
Brianna coldly turned around to face the boy at the top of the staircase. Then she quietely nodded.   
  
A step.  
And she was free. 


	2. Between platform nine and ten

"Hurry up, Brianna dear. We might miss the train."  
  
Brianna firmly gripped her light traveling bag and followed Ms.Rachel to the train station at King's Cross.  
The station was filled with people that were heading back home from the vacation.  
  
"And I.. back to the orphanage," mumbled Brianna to herself.  
  
Ms.Rachel hadned Brianna the ticket to Birmingham. The train was to leave at 10:30.  
  
"Ms.Rachel, I need to use restroom. May I?" asked Brianna politely.  
  
"Hurry though. We don't want to be late," an irritated voice approved Brianna.  
  
Brianna checked her platform and pushed her way to the restroom. A fairly long line was formed outside the door. But Brianna, who didn't really bother to use the toilet, went into face the mirrors while washing her hands.  
She slightly tapped water on to her pale face.   
Within few minutes, she would be boarding the train to that dreadful orphanage.  
Slowly, she clenched and unclenched her fists.   
Slight wrinkles were reflected off the mirror.  
  
"I could just stay here," Brianna told herself but soon burst into laughter.  
"And what exactly am I suppose to do in a street? Non-sense, Brianna."  
  
She took few rolls of paper towel and dried her hands. Then after regathering her bag, she headed out the door.   
To her platform- platform ten.  
  
  
  
"Uh-oh. I might be late for the train. Great, Ms.Rachel's going to yell at me."  
Brianna tired to push through the heavy traffic near the platform two. But the crowd was just glued to the ground.   
Brianna expressed her frustration by kicking a nearby wall.   
  
Then a most fascinating thing happened.  
From a sky, a group of owls gathered around the platform ahead. Hooing and rolling their eyes, one owl flew freely above heads of busy travelers.  
Few bursts of anger rose from the people. Nevertheless, the owl flew aimless above the station then stopped after spotting something- or rather, someone.  
  
"Ouch-!"   
Brianna was practically being pushed by the crowd when an yellow parchment dropped to her head.  
After frowing a bit, she curiously looked at the paper that fell on her head.  
It was tightly sealed with an mark of a something that she never saw in her life.  
But what surprised her the most was the name that was inscribed on the top of the envelope.  
  
Brianna Eubanks  
  
Suspiciously, Brianna looked around to see who dropped the mysterious letter.  
Not finding anyone, she slowly opened the letter.  
  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
Dear Miss Eubanks,  
  
Due to failure in our admissions process, we are sorry to send you a late notify of your admission at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the term begins on September 1, and we could not notify you earlier for your answer, please board the train at King's Station, platform nine and three quarters by eleven o'clock- today. For your spellbooks and equipments......  
  
Brianna wiped her eyes to see if she was witnessing hallucinations.  
She wasn't.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Minerva McGonagall,  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
"What kind of sick joke is this?"  
  
Brianna yelled among the crowd.  
But who knew the name of Brianna Eubanks in this big station and exactly bold enough to drop this letter from the sky onto her head?  
  
Brianna looked at the clock. 10:34 teasingly ticked tocked at her.  
  
"Oh no-! Ms. Rachel must have left! Or she must be waiting!!"  
  
Alarmed by the thought, Brianna gathered a strong will rooted in her and pushed her way to the platform ten.   
  
'Anyway, what IS platform three and fourths? This is so messed up.'  
Brianna gasped for her breath as she reached the platform and found no familiar figure of Ms. Rachel nearby.  
  
  
"Oh no-! She couldn't have left-! But I still have the ticket."  
  
She held out the ticket- and the worn out letter.   
Brianna sighed and realized that she should probably go talk to one of the employees to catch later trains.  
As she took a step to leave the platform, a group of chattering sounds caught her attention.  
  
  
"Oh come on, Hermione. You can probably choose all of those subjects next year. I just wish I can drop Potions."  
  
A bulky looking boy walked toward Brianna with a baggage cart, followed by a bushy haired girl who seemed to be complaing about certain matters.  
By the boy's mentioning of Potions, Brianna gave the boy a funny look. However, the boy didn't seemed to notice Brianna's existance.  
  
"You heard what professor McGonagall said. Potions is one of the important subjects for wizards and witches to learn."  
  
Brianna could've had lost her balanace.  
  
  
'Wizards and witches? McGonagall?'  
  
According to her memory, McGonagall was the very name that was on the letter to her invation to Hogwat, Hogfog or something.  
Brianna felt a sudden rush of urge to talk to that boy and a girl.  
  
"Uh, excuse me," Brianna turned with her small luggage.  
And as Brianna turned around, she noticed the small boy gulping a bit.  
  
"I have a question."  
  
They both seemed uneasy to talk to her.  
  
"...about Hogwarts?"  
Brianna referenced back to her strange letter.  
It was then when the faces of the boy and a girl loosened.  
  
"Are you a first year?"  
A girl asked in a hushed voice and motioned her hands to call Brianna.  
  
"A what?"  
  
"Not so loud!" The boy named Neville whispered as well.  
"We don't want the muggles to hear."  
  
"The what? No. I just have a question. I just got this letter and I'm very confused about this Hogwarts ....and what did you say? Muggles?"  
  
A girl that had a name, Hermione, looked at Brianna suspiciously. Then she asked for the letter that Brianna was holding.  
Gladly, Brianna handed the letter.  
  
"Hm.. look Neville. It does say Hogwarts, and it IS from McGonagall. But why would they make mistakes in admissions process? Your name is Brianna?"  
  
Brianna nodded.  
  
"And letter arriving on the day of the train leaving to Hogwarts?   
I don't know Brianna. I think you should really talk to Dumbledore."  
  
As Brianna was about to ask who that was, Neville was quick enough to tell her that Dumbledore was a headmaster at Hogwarts.  
  
"But in meanwhile, since you did get the letter, I think you should get on the train."  
  
"I've been wondering about that too. Platform nine and three quarters?" asked Brianna with uncertainty, but smiles formed around Neville and Hermione's face.  
  
"It's right here," Neville pointed toward a wall that was between platform nine and ten.  
  
"Uh, it's a barrierl."  
  
"And watch me," Neville smirked a bit and ran his cart toward the "barrier."  
  
"Hey are you craz..!"   
  
And before Brianna could finish her sentence, Neville was gone.   
Disappeared, vanished - into the wall.  
Brianna opened her mouth in disbelief.  
  
"You can go ahead now." Hermione slightly pushed her towards the wall.  
  
"Me? No way. What was that? No way. Where did he go? Did he just disappear? Or go through that wall?"  
  
Hermione sighed heavely and shook her head.  
  
"You'll have a lot to catch up Brianna."  
  
  
Brianna felt her small body being pushed by Hermione. She looked back to yell in protest but she was alone. Alone in a dark, crowded space.  
But within a second, she wasn't. And there was Neville, standing infront of her, smiling.  
  
"Ready to see Hogwarts, new girl?" 


End file.
